1997–98 Premiership Rugby
The 1997–98 English Premiership (known as the Allied Dunbar Premiership for sponsorship reasons) was the eleventh full season of rugby union within the top tier of the English rugby union system .
Newcastle Falcons won the league, for the first time, following their promotion from National Division 2 last season. Saracens finished just one point behind in second place, and the last placed club, Bristol, were relegated.
Participating teams and locations
Locations of the 1997–98 Allied Dunbar Premiership teams
Greater London Allied Dunbar Premiership clubs
Team
Stadium
Capacity
City/Area
Bath
Recreation Ground
8,200
Bath , Somerset
Bristol
Memorial Stadium
12,100
Bristol
Gloucester
Kingsholm
11,000
Gloucester , Gloucestershire
Harlequins
The Stoop
8,500
Twickenham , London
Leicester Tigers
Welford Road
16,000
Leicester , Leicestershire
London Irish
The Avenue
6,600
Sunbury-on-Thames , Surrey
Newcastle Falcons
Kingston Park [ n 1]
10,000
Newcastle upon Tyne , Tyne and Wear
Northampton Saints
Franklin's Gardens
10,000
Northampton , Northamptonshire
Richmond
Athletic Ground, Richmond
4,500
Richmond , London
Sale
Heywood Road
5,400
Sale , Greater Manchester
Saracens
Vicarage Road
22,000
Watford , Hertfordshire
Wasps
Loftus Road
18,439
Shepherd's Bush , London
Notes
Final table
Fixtures
Week 1
Bath 13–20 Newcastle Falcons
Northampton Saints 23–26 NEC Harlequins
Richmond 32–12 London Irish
Week 2
Leicester Tigers 33–16 Gloucester
Week 3
Newcastle Falcons 37–12 Northampton Saints
Week 4
Richmond 37–16 NEC Harlequins
Athletic Ground Attendance: 4,836
Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,000
Northampton Saints 25–6 Leicester Tigers
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 8,186
Sale 26–33 Newcastle Falcons
Heywood Road Attendance: 4,000
London Wasps 15–19 Saracens
Gloucester 29–7 London Irish
Kingsholm Attendance: 6,287
Week 5
Leicester Tigers 33–22 Bath
Welford Road Attendance: 16,000
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 6,810
Bristol 22–15 Northampton Saints
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 4,062
London Irish 22–17 London Wasps
The Avenue Attendance: 4,000
Newcastle Falcons 18–12 Richmond
Kingston Park Attendance: 4,202
Vicarage Road Attendance: 5,163
Week 6
Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,000
London Irish 19–35 Newcastle Falcons
The Avenue Attendance: 5,000
Gloucester 16–17 NEC Harlequins
Kingsholm Attendance: 7,937
Loftus Road Attendance: 4,105
Vicarage Road Attendance: 4,258
Week 7
Northampton Saints 13–19 Saracens
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 7,088
Week 8
Leicester Tigers 55–15 Sale
Welford Road Attendance: 10,695
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 2,415
London Irish 10–51 Northampton Saints
The Avenue Attendance: 4,300
NEC Harlequins 53–17 London Wasps
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 7,812
Newcastle Falcons 37–27 Gloucester
Kingston Park Attendance: 3,000
Vicarage Road Attendance: 10,658
Richmond 32–15 Leicester Tigers
Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,076
Week 9
Leicester Tigers 27–3 NEC Harlequins
Welford Road Attendance: 11,606
Richmond 21–24 Northampton Saints
Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,204
Week 10
Saracens 21–22 Leicester Tigers
Vicarage Road Attendance: 14,291
Bristol 8–50 Newcastle Falcons
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,000
Kingsholm Attendance: 8,328
NEC Harlequins 26–24 London Irish
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 7,348
Northampton Saints 18–10 London Wasps
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 8,772
Heywood Road Attendance: 4,500
Week 11
Bath 26–3 Northampton Saints
Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,000
London Irish 10–25 Saracens
The Avenue Attendance: 3,800
London Wasps 22–18 Richmond
Loftus Road Attendance: 4,912
Heywood Road Attendance: 3,500
Leicester Tigers 19–25 Newcastle Falcons
Welford Road Attendance: 16,000
NEC Harlequins 38–40 Bristol
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 5,124
Week 12
Northampton Saints 33–14 Sale
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 5,929
London Wasps 26–20 Gloucester
Loftus Road Attendance: 4,245
Newcastle Falcons 46–13 London Irish
Kingston Park Attendance: 3,500
Saracens 25–16 NEC Harlequins
Vicarage Road Attendance: 10,753
Week 13
Leicester Tigers 45–21 London Wasps
Welford Road Attendance: 15,000
London Irish 14–45 Richmond
The Avenue Attendance: 3,500
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,601
NEC Harlequins 5–30 Northampton Saints
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 4,612
Week 14
Athletic Ground Attendance: 3,888
Northampton Saints 17–21 Newcastle Falcons
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 8,989
Gloucester 32–25 Leicester Tigers
Kingsholm Attendance: 7,963
Loftus Road Attendance: 4,112
Sale Sharks 41–16 London Irish
Heywood Road Attendance: 3,500
Week 15
Recreation Ground Attendance: 5,500
Gloucester 20–15 Northampton Saints
Kingsholm Attendance: 5,689
Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,000
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 3,239
Leicester Tigers 34–19 London Irish
Welford Road Attendance: 10,762
Newcastle Falcons 43–15 NEC Harlequins
Kingston Park Attendance: 5,031
Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,017
Week 16
The Avenue Attendance: 1,500
Vicarage Road Attendance: 3,722
Week 17
Recreation Ground Attendance: 7,200
Bristol 24–27 Leicester Tigers
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 3,143
Week 18
Leicester Tigers 15–15 Northampton Saints
Welford Road Attendance: 14,500
NEC Harlequins 41–12 Richmond
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 4,532
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 5,271
Saracens 33–27 London Wasps
Vicarage Road Attendance: 12,332
Newcastle Falcons 23–18 Sale
Kingston Park Attendance: 2,638
Gloucester 22–15 London Wasps
Kingsholm Attendance: 6,629
Week 19
Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,200
Northampton Saints 35–12 Bristol
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 4,900
Richmond 30–17 Newcastle Falcons
Athletic Ground Attendance: 4,367
Heywood Road Attendance: 4,000
Kingsholm Attendance: 7,135
London Wasps 19–38 London Irish
Loftus Road Attendance: 7,935
Week 20
London Irish 23–19 Gloucester
The Avenue Attendance: 2,300
Newcastle Falcons 30–25 Saracens
Kingston Park Attendance: 6,868
Leicester Tigers 42–19 Richmond
Welford Road Attendance: 10,146
The Avenue Attendance: 4,800
NEC Harlequins 36–16 Gloucester
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 4,127
Week 21
Newcastle Falcons 20–13 London Wasps
Kingston Park Attendance: 4,500
Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,200
Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,500
Gloucester 27–29 Newcastle Falcons
Kingsholm Attendance: 9,048
Sale 35–21 Leicester Tigers
Heywood Road Attendance: 4,000
London Wasps 29–26 NEC Harlequins
Loftus Road Attendance: 5,749
Week 22
Athletic Ground Attendance: 6,500
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 1,547
NEC Harlequins 14–23 Leicester Tigers
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 5,362
Kingsholm Attendance: 10,574
Northampton Saints 39–47 Richmond
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 5,350
Heywood Road Attendance: 3,800
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 2,265
Saracens 12–10 Newcastle Falcons
Vicarage Road Attendance: 19,764
Week 23
Northampton Saints 33–18 London Irish
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 4,600
London Wasps 18–17 Newcastle Falcons
Loftus Road Attendance: 5,045
Leicester Tigers 10–10 Saracens
Welford Road Attendance: 16,900
Recreation Ground Attendance: 6,500
London Irish 62–14 NEC Harlequins
The Avenue Attendance: 4,200
Athletic Ground Attendance: 2,000
London Wasps 31–15 Northampton Saints
Loftus Road Attendance: 5,261
Newcastle Falcons 43–18 Bristol
Kingston Park Attendance: 3,162
Week 24
Recreation Ground Attendance: 5,500
NEC Harlequins 26–28 Saracens
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 4,152
London Wasps 17–13 Leicester Tigers
Loftus Road Attendance: 3,791
Kingsholm Attendance: 6,319
Northampton Saints 16–15 Bath
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 6,320
Richmond 51–29 London Wasps
Athletic Ground Attendance: 4,551
Bristol 19–26 NEC Harlequins
Memorial Stadium Attendance: 3,110
Saracens 29–21 London Irish
Vicarage Road Attendance: 8,143
Week 25
Newcastle Falcons 27–10 Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers 34–25 Bristol
Welford Road Attendance: 8,678
Sale 30–19 Northampton Saints
Heywood Road Attendance: 3,000
Week 26
Newcastle Falcons 20–15 Bath
Gateshead International Stadium Attendance: 11,750
Saracens 43–20 Northampton Saints
Vicarage Road Attendance: 9,117
NEC Harlequins 20–44 Newcastle Falcons
Twickenham Stoop Attendance: 8,897
London Irish 16–55 Leicester Tigers
The Avenue Attendance: 2,500
Loftus Road Attendance: 9,324
Northampton Saints 22–24 Gloucester
Franklin’s Gardens Attendance: 5,500
Heywood Road Attendance: 4,000
Following ten years of sponsorship by the Courage Brewery , the life assurance group Allied Dunbar agreed to sponsor the top two divisions for £7,500,000.[ 1]
Leading scorers
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who did not earn international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.
Most points
Source:[ 2]
Most tries
Source:[ 3]
See also
References
External links
2024–25 teams Former clubs Seasons
National Division One Premiership Rugby
Other